Education for Youth of All Levels Takes Place in Region 6

By Mackenzie Brown

It takes a lot to gather the riders of a region as spread out as Region 6 in one place. But the words “Youth Clinic” tend to make easy work of such a tremendous task. Regardless of the temperatures dropping to near freezing as we came together in early November, riders from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington traveled to DevonWood Equestrian Centre to attend the concurrently-run Region 6 FEI Youth Clinic and the Region 6 Youth Outreach Clinic. 

My name is Mackenzie Brown, and I am a youth athlete located in Region 6. I have only been riding dressage competitively for the past six years, but I grew up around the sport, and have grown to really appreciate the attention to detail that riders must have to succeed. Of course, this attention to detail is important not only when it comes to schooling particular movements or patterns, but especially when working on the basics of dressage. 

Participating in the youth clinic was unlike many of the other clinics I have participated in. The sense of camaraderie and community, from the barn aisles to the arena, was strong, and it was very encouraging. In our region, many of us who are friends consider ourselves lucky if we are able to see one another a few times a year, seeing as we are often hundreds of miles apart. With the help of the youth clinic, many of us were able to spend more time together, and those who were not yet acquainted became fast friends, ending the weekend with many hugs as we said goodbye and headed home. 

Of course, perhaps the most exciting part of the youth clinic was the instruction. Sabine Schut-Kery is a nationally beloved rider and trainer, having competed as part of the silver medal-winning 2021 Tokyo Olympics team, and training a number of horses to national titles over the course of her career. We are incredibly lucky to have her located on the West Coast, making travel to the youth clinic quite easy for her. 

I am sure many would agree that Sabine is a fantastic teacher. She has an amazing eye for detail, and is persistent in correcting the basics to help improve the horse. While some riders feel that the basics are “boring” or that they “have that figured out,” all of us can use help improving the foundational skills of dressage. After two lessons, she had drastically improved not only how I rode my horse, but how I viewed my training. Through her teaching, she showed me the value of precision, and how easily correct basics transfer into correct and beautiful movement. 

With Sabine’s help, riders from the FEI Children’s age division to the FEI U25 were able to find success. She had each horse and rider work on suppleness before moving on to more complex and difficult exercises. Even now, a few weeks later, I can vividly picture her looking at us riders as we audited and telling us that the trot-walk transition is the “mother of the half-halt.” I had never seen it that way before, but after she said it, I went back to the horses I ride and found a direct correlation between the quality of the transition and their half-halt. 

Between the FEI Youth Clinic and the Youth Outreach Clinic, Region 6 set a new record amongst the regions, hosting 24 rider and horse combinations. Not only is it an impressive feat to host all of the horses and riders in one place, but it shows just how well the youth athlete population of Region 6 is doing. It is absolutely paramount that youth athletes are encouraged to get out and attend clinics and events such as this. We are the future of the sport, and it is beyond important that young riders receive quality instruction as much as possible. I hope to continue attending and supporting these clinics, bringing myself, my horses, and my students to learn.

I am beyond grateful to the many people who work tirelessly to organize these clinics for us. Perhaps the most important thank you is for Sarah Delahanty. She is the Youth and Education Administrative Manager at USDF, and she works around the clock to organize these clinics, regardless of the fact that she is thousands of miles away. I have known Sarah for a little over a year now, and she is not only one of the most helpful people I have met, but incredibly cheerful and supportive. Without people like her, the youth programs of USDF would not be what they are. 

Additionally, I am grateful for the support shown by Noah Rattner, our Region 6 Director and the host of these clinics. His unwavering support for the athletes of our region is outstanding. There are a number of other thank yous owed: to the Region 6 Youth Coordinator Nicki Grandia, and our fantastic clinician Sabine Schut-Kery, along with a number of other individuals who are consistently working and pushing to provide more and more opportunities for growth to youth athletes around the country. 

As you sit down to plan your clinic and show schedule for 2025, I encourage each and every youth rider to look at the opportunities available in their region (and maybe even surrounding regions) to educate themselves and become better riders and caretakers for their equine partners. I certainly plan to attend next year’s FEI Youth Clinic again, and I know that I will come away from it with even more knowledge!